Patentable/Patents/US-8866875
US-8866875

Method and apparatus for controlling a conference place environment in video communication

PublishedOctober 21, 2014
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for controlling a conference place environment in video communication, in which, the method for controlling a video communication conference place environment includes: generating illumination feedback information indicating an illumination effect of a video communication conference place, in which the illumination feedback information comprises: a parameter indicating an illumination flaw or a parameter indicating correction of the illumination flaw; and outputting the illumination feedback information, so that a lighting controlling device in the video communication conference place controls lighting in the video communication conference place according to the illumination feedback information. By use of technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention, a conference place environment in video communication is able to be remotely controlled.

Patent Claims
10 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A method for controlling a video communication conference place environment, comprising: generating illumination feedback information indicating an illumination effect of a video communication conference place, wherein the illumination feedback information comprises: a parameter indicating an illumination flaw or a parameter indicating correction of the illumination flaw; outputting the illumination feedback information, so that a lighting controlling device in the video communication conference place controls lighting in the video communication conference place according to the illumination feedback information; wherein the generating the illumination feedback information indicating the illumination effect of the video communication conference place comprises: obtaining an image of the video communication conference place shot by an image shooting apparatus; and generating the illumination feedback information according to the image; wherein the generating the illumination feedback information according to the image comprises: obtaining a parameter denoting brightness of the image, when determining that the parameter denoting brightness of the image is greater than a first threshold, generating a parameter indicating excessively strong illumination or a parameter indicating reduction of lighting illuminance; and when determining that the parameter denoting brightness of the image is smaller than a second threshold, generating a parameter indicating excessively weak illumination or a parameter indicating increase of the lighting illuminance; or, determining whether a color shift occurs in a background color of the image, and if yes, determining an illumination flaw causing the color shift occurring in the background color of the image, and generating a parameter indicating the illumination flaw or a parameter indicating correction of the illumination flaw; or, extracting a character image from the image, and determining whether a color shift occurs in a character skin color in the character image, and if yes, determining an illumination flaw causing the color shift occurring in the character skin color, and generating a parameter indicating the illumination flaw or a parameter indicating correction of the illumination flaw; or, determining whether a noise exists in the image, and if yes, determining an illumination flaw causing the noise, and generating a parameter indicating the illumination flaw or a parameter indicating correction of the illumination flaw.

2

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the image of the video communication conference place shot by the image shooting apparatus comprises: obtaining, by a local terminal through a remote terminal, an image of a remote video communication conference place shot by a remote image shooting apparatus; and the outputting the illumination feedback information comprises: transmitting, by the local terminal through the remote terminal, the illumination feedback information to a remote lighting controlling device.

3

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the generating the illumination feedback information indicating the illumination effect of the video communication conference place comprises: obtaining a result of detection performed by an illumination sensor on the lighting in the video communication conference place; and generating the illumination feedback information according to the detection result.

4

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: after detecting that a local microphone receives a voice of a local spokesman, sending, by a local terminal, first instruction information to a local lighting controlling device, wherein the first instruction information is used to instruct the local lighting controlling device to highlight the local spokesman by using illumination; or, after receiving indication information that is sent by a remote terminal and denotes that a remote microphone receives a voice of a remote spokesman, sending, by the local terminal, second instruction information to a remote lighting controlling device through the remote terminal, wherein the second instruction information is used to instruct the remote lighting controlling device to highlight the remote spokesman by using illumination; or, after detecting that the remote microphone receives a voice of the remote spokesman, sending, by the local terminal, second instruction information to the remote lighting controlling device through the remote terminal, wherein the second instruction information is used to instruct the remote lighting controlling device to highlight the remote spokesman by using illumination.

5

5. An apparatus for controlling a video communication conference place environment, comprising: a generating unit, configured to generate illumination feedback information indicating an illumination effect of a video communication conference place, wherein the illumination feedback information comprises: a parameter indicating an illumination flaw or a parameter indicating correction of the illumination flaw; a sending unit, configured to output the illumination feedback information, wherein the illumination feedback information is a basis on which a lighting controlling device in the video communication conference place controls lighting of the video communication conference place; and wherein the generating unit is configured to obtain a parameter denoting a predetermined characteristic of an image, and when the generating unit determines that the parameter denoting the predetermined characteristic of the image is greater than a first threshold, the generating unit generates a parameter indicating an excessively strong predetermined characteristic or a parameter indicating a reduction of the predetermined characteristic; and when the generating unit determines that the parameter denoting the predetermined characteristic of the image is smaller than a second threshold, the generating unit generates a parameter indicating an excessively weak predetermined characteristic or a parameter indicating an increase of the predetermined characteristic.

6

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the generating unit comprises: an image obtaining subunit, configured to obtain the image of the video communication conference place shot by an image shooting apparatus; and an illumination feedback information generating subunit, configured to generate the illumination feedback information according to the image obtained by the image obtaining subunit.

7

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the image obtaining subunit is specifically configured to receive an image of a remote video communication conference place shot by the image shooting apparatus and sent by a remote terminal; and the sending unit is specifically configured to output the illumination feedback information to the remote terminal.

8

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the illumination feedback information generating subunit comprises at least one of the following: an illumination contrast check subunit, an image shooting noise point check subunit, an image shooting color shift check subunit and a character skin color check subunit, wherein, the illumination contrast check subunit is configured to obtain a parameter denoting brightness of the image, when determining that the parameter denoting brightness of the image is greater than a first threshold, generate a parameter indicating excessively strong illumination or a parameter indicating reduction of lighting illuminance; and when determining that the parameter denoting brightness of the image is smaller than a second threshold, generate a parameter indicating excessively weak illumination or a parameter indicating increase of the lighting illuminance; the image shooting color shift check subunit is configured to determine, according to the image, whether a color shift occurs in a background color of the image, and if yes, determine an illumination flaw causing the color shift occurring in the background color, and generate a parameter indicating the illumination flaw or a parameter indicating correction of the illumination flaw; the character skin color check subunit is configured to extract a character image from the image, and determine whether a color shift occurs in a character skin color in the character image, and if yes, determine an illumination flaw causing the color shift occurring in the character skin color, and generate a parameter indicating the illumination flaw or a parameter indicating correction of the illumination flaw; and the image shooting noise point check subunit is configured to determine whether a noise exists in the image, and if yes, determine an illumination flaw causing the noise, and generate a parameter indicating the illumination flaw or a parameter indicating correction of the illumination flaw.

9

9. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the generating unit comprises: a detection result obtaining subunit, configured to obtain a result of detection performed by an illumination sensor on the lighting in the video communication conference place; and an illumination feedback information generating subunit, configured to generate the illumination feedback information according to the detection result.

10

10. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the apparatus further comprises: a detection unit, configured to detect whether a local microphone receives a voice of a local spokesman, or detect whether a remote microphone receives a voice of a remote spokesman; and the sending unit is further configured to, after the detection unit detects that the local microphone receives a voice of the local spokesman, send first instruction information to a local lighting controlling device, wherein the first instruction information is used to instruct the local lighting controlling device to highlight the local spokesman by using illumination; and, after the detection unit detects that the remote microphone receives a voice of the remote spokesman, send second instruction information to a remote terminal, wherein the second instruction information is used to instruct a lighting controlling device of the remote terminal to highlight the remote spokesman by using illumination; or, the apparatus further comprises: an obtaining unit, configured to obtain indication information that is sent by the remote terminal and denotes that the remote microphone receives a voice of the remote spokesman; and the sending unit is further configured to, after the obtaining unit obtains the indication information, send second instruction information to the remote terminal, wherein the second instruction information is used to instruct the remote lighting controlling device to highlight the remote spokesman by using illumination.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

April 27, 2012

Publication Date

October 21, 2014

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Cite as: Patentable. “Method and apparatus for controlling a conference place environment in video communication” (US-8866875). https://patentable.app/patents/US-8866875

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